River-channel plow



(No Model.) Y Y i 4 sheets- Sheet 1.

' D. H. SOLOMON.

RIVER CHANNEL PLOW.

No. 449,184. Patente Mar. 81, 1891.

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Nw om ML 0m L om SH .C HR .E DN R u d 0 M o N\ No. 449,184. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.v

(No Model.) l 4Sheets-Sheet 3.

. D. H. SOLOMON.

h, RIVER CHANNEL PLOW.' Nn. 449,184. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4..

D. H'. SOLOMON. RIVER CHANNEL PLOW. 110,449,184. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

limiten drains- Fn'rnn'r @riviera 'DANIEL ll. SOLOMON, OF GLENXVOOD, IOVA.

RIVERHCHANNEL. PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,184, dated March 31, 1891.

Application tiled .Tidy 17, 1889. Serial No. 317,836. (No model.)

To LZZ/ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, DANIEL H. SOLOMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glen wood, in the county of Mills and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Means for Removing River-Bars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forming` part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a thoroughly efficient and economical means for accomplishing the removal of sand or 1n ud bars from the channels of sediment-bearing rivers flowing in alluvial and yielding beds of their own formation, and thereby assist in the gradual and natural attainment of a mean smooth bottom and the consequent improvement of navigation, besides contributing to the preservation of the river-banks from the destructiveaetion of overflows and the erosion caused by rapid currents.

To these ends myinvention consists in the peculiar features of construction and novel` combinations of parts in a submarine drec ging, harrowing, or plowing apparatus for the removal of river bars or shoals and the rectification of channels, as hereinafter more particularly described, and then pointed out in` the claims.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure l is a plan of two vessels or hulls arranged side by side at a distance apart and connected by a deck or platform on which are placed a number of windlasses, to which are attached the cables for raising, lowering, and operating a group of flexibly connected harrows that are drawn along the bed of the river by the movements of the connected vessels or hulls in such a manner as to assist the current to eeet the removal of bars and other irregularities of the bottom. Fig. 2 represents a portion of a riverbed in longitudinal section with the harrows in operative position, one of the vessels or hulls being shown in side elevation, while the deck or platform that supports the windlasses is in section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a series of river-bar harrows, showing also the cables by which they are raised and lowered. Fig. a is a plan of a flexibly-connected group of river-bar harrows or channel-plows and their draft-cables. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the said harrows and attached cables. Fig'. 6 is a perspec -ve of one of theharrow-frames with a portion of its weighted filling broken away. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section illustrating a modification in the manner of weighting the barrow-frame. Fig. i) is a sectional detail illustrating a means for varying the diameters of ad j aeent windlasses, so that the same number of revolutions imparted to each will give a lateral inclination to the connected series of harrows to cause themto conform to the slope of the river-bed.

Referring to Figs. .l and 2, the numeral 1 designates a vessel or hull, two of which are arranged side by side at a suitable distance apart and connected by an intermediate deck or platform 2, somewhat in the manner of a catamaran. rlhe deck or platform 2 is supported on beams or girders 3, extended transversely across and between the hulls l and securely fastened in place. If preferred, these beams or girders 3 may form a part of the structure of each hull in order to afford increased strength and stiffness. The platform or dect 2 may extend, as shown, from the stern to near the stem of each vessel or hull. In the after part of the intermediate deck 2 is a rectangular group of vertical holes 4, arranged in parallel rows both transversely and longitudinally for the passage of ythe cables by which the river-bar harrows G are lowered and raised. Above and alongside the holes a is a series of parallel windlasses 7 for attachment of the raising and lowering cables 5, and having hand-wheels S or other operatingdevices arranged, preferably, attheir alternate ends, as shown in Fig. l, so that they can be readily manipulated without intel'- ference one with another. Across the forward portion of the deck 2 is supported awindlass 9, which may be operated by hand-wheels l0 or other devices at each end. This windlass 9 is for attachment of the draft-cables ll, which connect with the forward portion of the connected series of river-bar harrows, as presently explained. At the front end of the platform or deck 2, in advance of the Windlass 9, is supported a transverse series of sheaves l2, corresponding to the number of draft-cables l1, for the purpose of guiding said cables and maintaining them in proper IOO relative positions at all times,whether at rest or while being wound upon or paid out from the windlass. Each of these sheaves 12 is provided with a suitable housing 13, secured to the forward deck-beam. It will be seen that by means'of the hoisting-cables 5 and draft-cables 11 and their respective windlasses the river-bar harrows 6 can be raised and lowered at will and the draft readily regulated according to the character of the riverbottoin and the varying requirements of the work to be done.

The river-bar harrows G are arranged in a group or series, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, with suitable flexible connections, so that they will be sufficiently yielding` to readily conform to the configuration of the river bed or bottom and permit each individual hai-row to operate effectively.

The preferred arrangement of the harrows is more clearly seen in Fig. 4, while their con` roW or plow teeth 16, which may be arranged or grouped in any suitable manner. Each barrow-frame should be weighted in some convenient way to enhance the efficiency of the harrowteeth, and this may be readily accomplished either byproviding thetop of the plate or frame 14 with a surrounding ledge 17 and filling in the inclosed space with molten lead 18, as shown in Figs. (i and 7, or by attaching to the top of the plate or frame 14 one or more plates of lead or other metal 19,as shown in Fig. S.

In the construction shown in. Figs. 6 and 7 the ledge 17 is preferably formed with an overhanging inward projection or lip 20to assist in confining the lead filling or weight 18 in place. Each barrow-frame is provided with vertical eyebolts 21, secured by nuts 22. These eyebolts 21 are designed for the attachment of chains 23, that connect with the cables 5 for lowering and raising the harrows, and in the construction shown in Fig. S said eyebolts also serve to secure the weighted plates 19 to the harrow-frame. lVhen the harrow-frames are weighted in the manner shown in Figs. G and 7, the eyebolts 21 are put in place before the molten lead is applied.

i As shown in Fig. 4, the river-bar harrows 6 are arranged in a group composed of a nu rnber of transverse series, in which the harrows of each series alternate with those of an adjacent seriesso that the space between any two parallel harrows is covered by a harrow of the alternate series, and by these means the entire group of harrows is enabled to thoroughly operate at once on a corresponding area of a river-bar. The several transverse series of harrows have a flexible connection with the adjoining series by means of links 24, connected with and extended diagonally betwecnthc eyes orloops 15 of the several liarrows. Similar links 24, engaged with the forward eyes or ioops 15 of the front series of harrows, connect with rings 25, to which are attached chains 2G, that are arranged, as shown in Fig. 4, to form suitable bridles that connect by means of rings 27 with the draft-cables 11, by which the group of harrows is drawn along the river-bottom. In the arrangement of the group of harrows contemplated by my invention itis preferable to place aneven number of harrows in the first and third transverse rows or series, and so on, and an odd number of harrows in the alternate transverse rows or series. The outer harrows of the front row or series may have rings 2S engaged in the eyes 15 for partial attachment of the bridles or chains 2G, that connect with the draftcables. In order to equalize the draft of the entire group of harrows and maintain a proper parallelism of the outer sides of the group, the outer harrows of the even rows or series may be connected by rods or long links 29, engaged with supplemental eyes 30 of the harrows.k

rlhe eyebolts 21 afford attachment for the chains 23, which connect by means of rings 31 with the cables 5, by which the harrows are raised and lowered, as required. By referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the chains 23 and rings 31 also serve to connect some of the harrows of each transverse series in pairs which alternate with single harrows of thesame row or series, the arrangement of the harrowsin the respective rows or series being such that the single harrows and the connected pairs of harrows in adj oining transverse rows orseries also alternate with each otherth roughout the entire group. It is obvious that by arranging and connecting the harrows in the manner shown and described the entire grou p is rendered extremely flexible and capable of readily accommodating itself to the irregularities of a river-bai', so that each harrow will have full opportunity of doing thorough and effective work.

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In order to prevent the cables 5 and chains I 23 from falling between the connected pairs of harrows, and possibly becoming entangled with the barrow-teeth, in case the cables 5 should be slack, concave baskets or guards32, of wire or open-Work material, may be arf ranged above the space between two harrows that are connected in a pair by said chains. These guards or baskets 32 are not required for the single harrows'of a series, as in the event of the cables that connect therewith being slack the attached chains would be supported on the barrow-top.

It will be observed that all the rings 31 of each transverse row or series of harrows are in line with each other, and also that said rings of the several transverse harrow series are in line longitudinally, and thus the several rings readily correspond with the transverseand longitudinal seriesof hoisting-cables 5. A group of thirty harrows arranged as shown in Fig. 4 requires live draft-cables 11 and twenty hoisting-cables 5, disposed in four transverse rows or series of ve cables each, the draft-cables being all connected with a single transverse windlass 9, while the hoisting-cables are operated by five parallel windlasses 7, to each of which are attached four cables; but it is obvious that With a larger or smaller group of harrows the number of cables would be increased or diminished, and av greater or less number of parallel Windlasses 7 might be required should the width of the group of harrows be changed by adding or removing harrows at the sides of the group.

It is frequently convenient or necessary to operate the group of river-bar harrows or plows in a laterally-inclined position, which is accomplished by lifting one side o f the group by means of the hoistingcables 5 of that side. lVhile the group of harrcws is in this laterally-inclined position it is desirable to prevent sagging of the outer harrows on the uppermost side of the inclined group, and for this purpose the outer harroWs on the sides of the group may be provided with eyes 33 for attachment of cables 34, that can be carried to the Windlasses 7 or to other windlasses, or said cables 34 may be hauled by hand in such a manner as to tilt or incline the outer and uppermost harrows and support them in a line conforming to the inclination of the entire group of harrows.

lThe group of harroWs may be tilted or inclined by any suitable means--such as, for instance, by imparting a greater number of revolutions to the outermost Windlass or Win l lasses of one side or by successively increasing the diameter of adjacent Windlasses, either by attaching slats thereto beneath the cables or by surrounding the Windlasses with coverings 35 of any suitable material, varying in thickness on adjoining Windlasses, as shown in Fig. 9, so that although all the Windlasses may be revolved in `the same degree in paving out the cables the group of harrows Will receive the required inclination.

The hulls or vessels l may be propelled by any desirable means, but are preferably fitted up as steam ers having paddle-wheels orscrewpropellers, or both, and as shown in Figs. l 2 each hull may be-provided With a paddlewheel on its outer side and a propeller at the stern. It is preferable to pay out the hoisting-cables 5 and draft cables ll sufli'ciently to cause the harrows or ploWs to be drawn along the river-bed beneath or slightly in rear of the after part of the deck or platform 2, that connects the hulls. The forward harrows should be Weighted enough to prevent any tendency to lifting under the strain of the draft-cables, and for this purpose also these cables themselves may be Weighted adjacent to the group of `harrows.

The sand, silt, or other material of the bar or shoal, loosened by the action of the harrows, will be carried off by the natural current of the river, and in order to insure its deposit in deeper parts of the river-bed to assist in the formation of a mean smooth bottom screws 36, Fig. 2, of any appropriate form and construction can be placed in suitable positions at or below' the points Where deposits are required, so as to obstruct the passage of floating material and induce settling.

That portion of the deck or platform 2 on which the Windlasses 7 are supported may be formed into a separate vertically-movable section 37, Fig. l, disconnected from the remainder of the deck 2 and capable of being lifted above the said deck by means of derricks or jacks (not shown) located at the corners of said movable section or at otherconvenient points adjacent thereto, so that when re. quired the said movable section 37, together with the Windlasses placed thereon, can be lifted above the main portion of the deck 2 and supported by suitable props or otherwise. By now throwing a temporary platform or bridge across the opening thus made in the deck 2 beneath the elevated platform Workmen can have access to the plows or harroWs 6, which, by means of the cables 5, should be raised a suitable distance' before the movable section 37 is elevated, and if the said plows or harrows have been raised sufficiently they may be subsequently let down onto the said temporary bridge or platform (not shown) in order to facilitate any necessary repairs or the removal or replacement of parts. Before lifting the removable section the group of harrovvs should be drawn up within a suitable distance of the said section or close thereto and secured in such a manner as to prevent them from swinging with the motion of the hulls.

In order to keep the hoisting-cablesl 5 plumb and each and all times immediately in line with its orifice 4L in the deck 2, the cylinder of the Windlass 7 must as it revolves on its axis also move in the direction of its length forward in paying outand backwardin Winding or drawing up the cables. This motion can be obtained by means of a screw 38, cut on the Windlass-axle and supported in a bex 39, that is internally threaded to correspond with the thread of the screw whose pitch must be sufficient to move, the cylinder each revolution longitudinally a distance which shall exactly equal the diameter of the liftingcable, and so avoid any liability to abrasion and wear of the cables in passing through the holes 4 in the deck.

The operation and advantages of the apparatus in the removal of bars or shoals, the rectification of channels, and the improvement of navigation will be obvious, and it is apparent that its use can be made t-o effect a great saving of labor and expen se in work of this character.

Vhat I claim as my invention is l. The combination, With two hulls or vessels connected side by side a suitable distance apart and an intermediate deck or platform supported by said h ulls, of a group of iiexibly- IOO IOS

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connected river-bar harrows or plows, cables for suspending said harrows from the platform, and draft-cables for drawing the group of harrows when lowered onto the river-bed, substantially as described.v

2. The combination, with two hulls or vessels connected side by side a suitable distance apart and an intermediate deck or platform supported by said hulls and provided in its rear portion with a rectangular group of vertical holes, of a series of parallel windlasses located on the deck or platform adjacent to said group of holes, a group of iieXibly-connected river-bar harrows or plows, and cables passed through the holes in the deck and connecting the harrows and windlasses, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with two hulls or vessels connected side by side and an intermediate deck or platform supported by said hulls and provided in its rear portion with a rectangular group of vertical holes, of a series of parallel-windlasses located on said deck adjacent to said group ofV holes, a windlass located transversely on the forward portion of saiddeck, a transverse series of sheaves located in the deck in front of the transverse windlass, a group of river-bar harrows or plows, hoisting-cables passed through thel group of holes in the deck and connecting said harrows with the parallel windlasses, and draft-cables passed over the sheaves in the forward part of the deck and connecting the harrows with the transverse windlass, su bstantially as described.

4. The combination, with two hulls or vessels connected side `by side and an intermediate deck or platform provided with holes lor openings, of windlasses located on said deck, a group of iieXibly-connected river-bar harrows or plows, and cables passed through the deck and connecting` the windlasses andv group of harrows, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with two hulls or vessels connected side by side and an intermediate deck or platform, of windlasses located on said deck, a group of iieXibly-connected river-bar harrows or plows, cables connecting said windlasses and harrows, and cables attached to the outer sides of the group of harrows for supporting the uppermost outer row 0f harrows in line with any inclination that may be given to the entire group of harrows, substantially as described.

G. The combination, with two hulls or vessels connected side by side and an intermediate deck or platform,of a group of flexibly connected river-bar harrows or plows arranged in transverse rows, in which the harrows of each row alternate with those of the adjoining rows, and cables extending through the deck to the harrows, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with two hulls or vessels connected side by side,'an intermediate deck or platform,and windlasses located thereon, of a group of lieXibly-connected river-bar harrows or plows arranged in transverse rows, in which the harrows of each row alternate with those of adjoiningrows,cablesforlower-k ing and hoisting the harrows, chains for connecting said cables and harrows, some of said harrows being arranged in pairs alternating with single harrows of the same row and adjoiningrows, and draft-cables connected with the forward harrows, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the group of riverbar harrows or plows G, the draft-cables 11, the hoisting-cables 5, the chains 23, rings 3l, connecting the harrows and hoisting-cables, and guards 32, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the group of riverbar harrows or plows consisting of frames 14, provided with loops 15, the diagonal links 24, the chains 23, hoisting-cables 5, and draftcables 11, substantially as described.

10. rlhe combination of the group of riverbar harrows or plows G, having loops l5, the links 24 and 29, the hoisting-cables 5, and the draft-cables 11, substantially as described.

.11. The combination of the group of flexibly-connected river-bar harrows or plows G, arranged in transverse rows, in which the harrows of each row alternate with the harrows of adjoining rows, the chains 23 and 26, and the cables 5 and 11, substantially as described.

12. 'lhe combination of the group of uf'eighted and flexibly-connected river-bar harrows or plows 6, the eycbolts 21, the chains 23, hoisting-cables 5, and draft-cables 11, substantially as described.

155. The combination of the `deck 2, having a rectangular group of openings 4, the wind lasses 7, parallel with each. other and with the said openings and having screw-threaded axles 88, the axle-boxesY 39, cables and plows or harrows 6, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with the deck 2 and river-bar plows or harrows t3, of the removable deck-section 37, adapted to be lifted above said deck and provided with the group ot' openings 4, the windlasses 7, supported on said section 37, and the cables 5, connecting the windlass-cylinders with the plows or harrows, substantially as described.

15. The combination of the deck 2, the vertically-movable deck-section 37, having openings 4, the rotary and longitudinally-movable windlass-cylinders '7, the cables 5, and the group of river-bar harrows or plows 6, substantially as described.

Glenwood, Iowa, July 5, 1889.

DANIEL H. SOLOMON.

Witnesses:

HENRY EVERSHAM, J r., FRANCIS W. PAasoNs.

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